1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gloves and, in particular embodiments, to waterproof gloves and to a process of manufacturing gloves.
2. Description of Background and Other Information
Gloves are required especially for mountain activities, such as climbing, skiing, and the like, as well as for miscellaneous other outdoor activities. Such gloves typically comprise an outer shell composed of several portions of leather or fabric sewn together at their edges. Several of such edges intersect in the area of the distal end of each finger. Because sewn edges inherently form entry points for water and moisture inside the outer shell, such gloves typically include an inner waterproof sheath, or lining. Such a lining is designed to enclose the user's hand. The finger tips of the lining provide protruding portions sewn to the shell. The walls of the lining are attached to the outer shell to delimit an inner volume. Padding is then attached inside the lining. The padding provides an improved comfort for the user and provides thermal insulation.
Such a glove suffers from several drawbacks. Because water or moisture can enter through the edges of the outer shell, the thermal insulation provided by the glove is lessened. Moreover, the cost of the waterproof or waterproof-breathable lining is relatively high. If the lining is pierced during a sewing phase, the glove is no longer waterproof. Due to its waterproofing process, including a PTFE coating step, the lining is required to be made out of two flat fabric layers joined together by bonding, such as adhesive bonding. The lining basically is made out of two flat layers having the general contour of the hand that are joined together at their respective edges, leaving an opening for insertion of the hand. Because of the flat structure of the two layers, the layers are easy to assemble, by welding, for example, thereby ensuring a waterproof assembly of the two layers. The lining then adopts a three-dimensional shape inside the outer shell. In order to delimit a suitable inner volume, a very large flat lining is initially required. In its three-dimensional shape, the lining then presents several pleats, or folds, in the area of the finger tips. The finger tips then suffer from a loss of tactile sense, making it difficult for the wearer to pick up small objects, such as coins. The finger flexibility is thereby also reduced. Seams located at the distal end of the finger shell also lead to a loss of tactile sense and to a poor appearance. Due to its loss of tactility and due to its limited finger flexibility, such a glove is not appropriate for sports such as climbing, skiing, etc. Moreover, in order to adapt to the morphology of the hand, a three-dimensional shape is required for the outer shell, which then requires complicated seam contours. Such seam contours require a complicated manufacturing process.
In the garment manufacturing field, it is known to seal and waterproof an assembly line between two panels by overlapping the assembly line with a waterproof strip. The assembly line can be a stitched line, an adhesive line, or a welded line. Using this technology, a flat assembly is much easier to waterproof than a three-dimensional assembly. In the manufacturing of garments larger in size than gloves, the waterproofing of three-dimensional structures remains possible because the size of the various panels that are to be assembled always make it possible to “flatten” the assembly line for a certain area or for a certain length. The manufacturing of tight-fitting gloves requires the assembly of various small panels. Furthermore, when assembled together, these panels often define an acute angle between each other. This is especially the case at the finger distal end and at the finger crotch, i.e., the part of the hand that corresponds to the junction of two fingers with the remainder of the hand.
There is thus a need for a glove overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks.